Ghosts of the Past
by TRikiD
Summary: Even when you think you've made a best friend for life, fate is still cruel enough to take them away. Cruz must fight the unfair odds of life in order to be with the one she truly loves, but it's easier said than done.
1. Chapter 1 - Her First Real Friend

Ghosts of the Past

Chapter 1 - Her First Real Friend

South San Francisco was not only much smaller compared to the _actual_ city of San Francisco, but it was also her childhood home; it was far more humble than all those other big cities, which is what shaped Cruz Ramirez into the optimistic and kind car she is today.

But that story begins way back when Cruz was only seven years old, when her father had put so many stories of racing in her hear and she couldn't help but dream of becoming a racer herself.

And one day, when Cruz ventured out of her backyard to play, she saw a beautiful little Bug with bright blue wings; intrigued by the vibrant insect, she followed it across a grassy meadow as it fluttered away.

"You think you're faster than _me_ , Bug? Ha! No one's faster than the legendary Cruz Ramirez!" the little yellow Coupe laughed while picking up speed, even though it was difficult with the grass. She then saw an opportunity to get passed her opponent when she saw a boulder with a slanted edge, just like a ramp.

Revving her engine even more, Cruz gave it all she got and drove up to the slanted boulder, launching into the air like a rocket. She went flying through the air, and cheered victoriously.

But her victory was short-lived when gravity acted upon her, and quickly pulled her down, crashing down on something hard and metal. Cruz tumbled across the grass and eventually stopped on her hood, and she struggled like a turtle on its back to get back up.

As Cruz struggled, she swore she saw movement in the upside-down grass blades. And when she heard something rustle through the field, she gasped when she heard it get closer.

"RAWR!" a small and husky voice shouted, as a young 1980 Ford B school bus pounced at Cruz. The said little Sports Coupe cried out in fear when she saw the ferocity in the bus' icy blue eyes, and instantly flipped back over the get away from the large youngling.

Cruz soon found another rock to hide behind, and she panted breathlessly while waiting for the scary school bus to pop out again.

"Aw, c'mon! I was only playin'!" Cruz heard the bus, so she slowly crept out to see her wandering around the field, as if in search of something, "I wasn't _really_ gonna hurt you, I swear!"

"Y-You promise?" Cruz whimpered loudly.

"I promise! Come on out, wherever you are!" the bus called back reassuringly, and Cruz couldn't help but giggle when she noticed the sweet southern accent in her voice. And so, Cruz slowly pulled out from behind the rock, and the yellow bus finally found her; she smiled wide at her, but her smile was rather crooked.

"Hi there! I'm Fritter! What's yer name?"

"U-Uh…Cruz."

"Well, Cruzy, it's nice ta meet cha! Wanna play another game?"

"I-I don't know…you play rough," Cruz reluctantly pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but I can change fer my friend!" Fritter protested while rolling her eyes.

"Friend?"

"Yeah! We _are_ friends, ain't we?"

Cruz paused for a moment, her eyes drifting lower in wonder. A new friend? And not only that but…her first _real_ friend. Cruz wouldn't deny that, and she smiled.

"Of course we're friends!" the Sports Coup happily replied.

"Awesome!"

"AGITHAAA! COME HOME RIGHT NOW!" Fritter immediately reacted to the distant haggish voice, and Cruz cocked a brow in confusion.

"Ugh! Sorry, Cruzy, I gotta get home," Fritter groaned in frustration and drove around Cruz to leave, but she then stopped and smiled back at Cruz, "Let's meet back here tomorrow, k?"

"Yeah, ok," Cruz agreed with excitement.

"Cya, Cruzy!" And with that, the young bus was gone, and Cruz knew she wouldn't see her until tomorrow. But she just couldn't wait to see her new friend again.

* * *

 **Sorry that this chappy's a bit short:P**

 **Sure, this chapter isn't really that eventful, but I promise future chapters won't be as short or boring;)**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	2. Chapter 2 - It's a Small World

Chapter 2 - It's a Small World

Years later, Cruz Ramirez was finally the awesome racer she always wanted to be; she also befriended her idol, Lightning McQueen, earned him as a crew chief, and put that arrogant Jackson Storm in his place, too.

And even after all this time, Cruz still remembered bits and pieces of her childhood. Unfortunately, she had forgotten some of the most important memories.

But she didn't have time to recall those memories at the moment, because she was now attending a huge party in Radiator Springs, celebrating her and Lightning's return home after finishing yet another racing season.

All their friends in Radiator Springs attended the party, and fans especially came to the party, for obvious reasons. In fact, Lightning and Cruz were swarmed by huge fans over half the time, making it rather difficult to just relax with their own friends.

But luckily, Cruz was able to slip away from a dragging conversation with a random fan, and she drove out of town to get some peace and quiet out at Willie Butte.

"Well, well, well! Look who's all alone out here!" Of course, Cruz couldn't be alone for too long, and she had to be accompanied with the biggest pain in the bumper, to boot.

"What do you want, Jackson?" Cruz asked while rolling her eyes, not even bothering to stop or check her rearview mirrors.

"Oh, I just wanted to point out the idiotic idea of coming out here alone," Jackson growled as he pulled up next to the yellow Sports Coupe, "There's a huge party going on near by, and I heard everyone's getting drunk."

"Does that include you?"

"Maybe. That's why I warned you."

"And why would _you_ , of all people, want to warn me, Jackson?" Cruz asked firmly as she pulled ahead of Jackson and turned around.

"It's simple, really. It would be tragic if something bad happened to a young and rising racer like you," Jackson began with a seductive smirk and inched closer, causing Cruz to back away, "Your fame and fans would drop _so_ fast, leaving all the glory to a racer who deserves such fortunes."

"W-What, like you?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Just then, a loud honk pieced the air, and a certain large school bus with flaming pipes came barreling towards the two racers.

"Get the hell away from her, you bastard!" the bus screamed at the top of her lungs, and Jackson hastily fled the scene with his tail between his legs, so to speak.

"Miss Fritter, what're you doing out here?" Cruz asked out of surprise.

"You kiddin' me? I wouldn't miss an opportunity like this ta hang out with you and Lightnin'! You two are my favorite racers _ever_!" Fritter explained with a playful bump to Cruz's side, but it still hurt a bit.

"R-Right…ow…well, thanks a lot for saving me, Miss Fritter," Cruz chuckled nervously while trying to ignore the pain in her side, "But how did you know I was out here?"

"When I saw Jackson follow you outta town I didn't like it one bit…so I followed ya."

"Aww, that's sweet of you, Miss Fritter."

"Oh, please! No need for this 'Miss' stuff. Just call me 'Fritter', alright?"

"O-Ok…I'd like that."

"C'mon, I'll take ya back home," Fritter offered while turning to leave.

"A-Actually, not to sound rude or anything…but I was kind of looking forward to just staying out here for a bit. It's nice and quiet, and all," Cruz nervously protested.

"Oh, ok…that's alright! Hey, I can keep ya company ya want!"

"No, I couldn't ask you to do that, especially after all you've done for me."

"Savin' you from that one-eyed snake Jackson don't make us equal after I tried ta kill you an' Lightnin' in the Thunder Hollow Derby."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that." Cruz couldn't help but giggle. "Ok, I guess you can hang out with me for a bit."

"Awesome! Mind if I ask ya somethin'?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"How'd ya get so good at racin'?"

"Well, for the longest time, I could never find the motivation I needed to push me out there. And when I found Lightning, I realized he was the push I needed the whole time," Cruz explained while slowly cruising forward, Fritter not far behind, "When I was young, no one believed I could be like those big-shot racers on TV. I didn't want to believe them…but after I failed that one race…"

Cruz stopped in her tracks when she realized what she was saying, and Fritter instantly stopped as well.

"What?" Fritter questioned out of concern.

"Sorry, I just…didn't realize I was rambling."

"It's ok. Besides, you're here now, aren't cha?"

"Yeah…I am."

Fritter smiled a toothy smile. "You know what, Cruz? You remind me a' someone I knew when I was a youngin."

"Really?" Cruz asked out of curiosity, and their slow cruise started again.

"Yeah! She was always determined and head-strong like you, not usually one ta give up so easily…in fact, she wanted ta be a racer, too!"

"Wow, that _does_ sound a lot like me."

"It's a small world, Cruzy."

Cruz immediately stopped in her tracks again, her eyes going wide and her mouth agape. She couldn't believe what she just heard.

"What is it this time?" Fritter chuckled and turned around.

"Wha…what did you just call me?" Cruz inquired with shock.

"Cruzy. What, can I not call ya that?"

"N-No, it's just that…did you grow up in South San Francisco?"

"Uh, yeah. How'd _you_ know that?"

"I grew up there, too…a-and as crazy as it is, I used to have a friend who called me Cruzy…she looked just like you, too."

Realization then hit the two in the face, and their eyes skimmed over each other in amazement.

"Cruzy?" Fritter finally spoke.

"Fritter?" Cruz gasped.

The two were frozen in amazement, realizing that it really _is_ a small world. But how did it come to this?

* * *

 **Indeed. What happened between Cruz and Fritter, and how could they have forgotten about each other?**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	3. Chapter 3 - If Only

Chapter 3 - If Only

 **19 years earlier…**

Cruz couldn't wait to see her new friend again, so as soon as she came home from school she hastily made her way out to the same field she met Fritter.

"Hey, Fritter? Friiitterrr?!" the little Sports Coupe called out in excitement, but her smile disappeared when she received no response after a while, "Fritter?"

But just as Cruz gave up hope, she was suddenly attacked by none other than Fritter, as the said young bus attacked her and rolled across the grass. While Fritter laughed and poor Cruz screamed, Fritter gave her a fierce noogie on her head when they stopped rolling.

"Nice ta see ya, Cruzy!" Fritter chuckled when she finally let go.

"Y-Yeah…good to…see you, too, Fritter," Cruz groaned in pain, subtly trying to shake off the pain, "Can you please stop that?"

"Not really. It's the only way I know how ta have fun," Fritter replied with a smirk.

"Well, there are safer ways for everyone to have fun, ya know," Cruz replied with a gentle smile.

"Oh, yeah? How?"

"We could race!"

"Race?"

"Sure!" Cruz started humming as she quickly glanced around, and then she perked up. "See that tree over there? The first one to touch it wins."

"I dunno…can't we just play Hide and Go Break?"

"No…but what's 'Hide and Go Break'?"

"Ooh, it's this neat game me and my brothers play all the time! The hider has ta go around and break stuff to distract the seeker, so that they can get ta base!"

"Wow…that sounds pretty smart, actually."

"What's that supposed ta mean?"

"N-Nothing!" Cruz panicked inside when she walked into that one, and she was glad Fritter didn't ask again. She then turned back towards the tree in the distance, and revved her engine.

"Look, this'll be fun! I promise!"

"Ok…" Fritter sighed and revved her engine as well, watching Cruz closely to see if she was doing it right.

"Ready?" Cruz asked.

"Sure."

"Set…go!"

In the blink of an eye, Cruz was off, leaving a surprised Fritter in the dust. The said school bus tried to keep up, but her slightly larger size and bumpy landscape made it difficult.

"W-Wait!" Fritter called as she jittered over the uneven fields.

"That's not how you win!" Cruz laughed and sped up.

"Seriously, Cruzy…!"

"But we're so close to the tree!"

"CRUZY!"

Cruz finally had the sense to slow down a bit and look behind her, and she wished she had looked back sooner. As Fritter drew closer, she bounced higher as the ground got rougher, and it wasn't long before the bus flipped over and crashed hard into the ground.

"Oh, no! Are you ok, Fritter?!" Cruz cried as she rushed to Fritter's aid.

"Ow…" Fritter groaned in pain, pulling her head from the ground. And Cruz gasped when she saw the bus' mouth.

"Fritter, your tooth!"

Fritter finally noticed the aching pain in her mouth, and she maneuvered her tongue to the top of her mouth to find a gap between her front teeth.

"Whoa…I hit the ground so hard, I knocked out a tooth," Fritter began slowly in awe, and then she smiled brightly, "Awesome!"

"W-What? You're not mad?" Cruz questioned in surprise.

"Nah, I've been through way worse! Besides, racin' really _is_ kinda fun!"

"Ya think so?" Cruz giggled.

"Sure do! Thanks fer showin' me, Cruzy," Fritter added with a much softer playful nudge to the Sports Coupe's side. And in that moment, Cruz really liked the gentler side of Fritter, especially considering how rough she has been.

"Agitha Fritter!" the same haggish voice the girls heard yesterday called again, and this time the owner of the voice made herself known. It was a large 1980 Ford B school bus, just like Fritter, with amber eyes. And Cruz thought Fritter had an intimidating gaze, but this larger bus' was even scarier.

"Whadda ya think yer doin' out here, young lady?!" the older bus screeched, she had a heavy accent as well, as she towered over little Fritter.

"I'm just playin', Ma!" Fritter protested while trying to be brave, but she was visibly shaking in her mother's shadow.

"You know you ain't allowed ta leave the house alone!"

"That's stupid! I ain't even grounded!"

"You are _now_!"

"I HATE YOU!" Fritter shrieked, tears spilling from her eyes as she raced off. And within the awkward silence, the older bus growled and rolled her eyes in disappointment. But she then noticed a frozen Cruz close by.

"You that 'Cruz' Agitha mentioned?" the older bus asked with a sneer.

"Uh…y-yes, Ma'am," Cruz responded meekly.

"Well, stay away from 'er!" the bus snapped and unexpectedly got closer, making Cruz back away.

"W-Why? We're friends!"

"I don't care! I don't want my daughter gettin' hurt again because a' you." Cruz looked down in guilt, remembering how she goaded Fritter on to racing her, and how she lost a tooth in the process.

"Listen ta me, ya little runt," the older bus hissed, "Stay away from Agitha—or else."

With that, she turned and left little Cruz all alone. She was scared and confused, not only of Fritter's terrifying mother, but she also felt terrible that Fritter _had_ such a mother.

Ever since that day, seeing Fritter again was a forgotten dream, and Cruz wouldn't see her again for many years.

* * *

Sixteen years old. That's how old Cruz Ramirez was turning, and she had nearly perfected her racing skills by now; her parents had even signed her up for the Junior Speedster's Racing Camp, a perfect gateway to get into the big leagues, like the Piston Cup series. But to get into the camp, Cruz was going to have to pass initiation.

To pass initiation, Cruz would have to win a race against numerous other a-game cars, so she knew it wasn't going to be easy. The race was tomorrow, but she was going to celebrate her sweet sixteen today.

It was a great time, really…but Cruz felt like something was missing. So, to jog her memory, Cruz headed out when the party was over, and looked for a certain field she played in when she was younger.

The field hadn't changed as much; there was still plenty of hills and tall grass. It was rather beautiful and serene, and Cruz liked it. And as the Sports Coupe looked up the at the clear night sky, she hadn't realized that she wasn't alone.

"I didn't know you still came out here." Cruz gasped when she heard that recognizable voice, that husky voice with the sweet accent. She turned around, and there she was.

"Fritter?" Cruz asked with a smile, and she could hardly bottle her excitement. It was indeed Fritter, and she was much bigger since last time, and after all these years, a crooked tooth had grown into the gap in her smile.

"Hey, Cruzy," Fritter chuckled nervously, "Long time, no see."

"Yeah, no kidding? I-I haven't seen you in _ages_. Where've you been?"

"Oh, ya know…livin' out my life with my _loving_ mother." The disgust and sarcasm was quite obvious in Fritter's voice, raising Cruz's concerns.

"Well…I really missed you." Cruz's hood turned bright orange when a red blush mixed with her yellow paint.

"I missed you, too, Cruzy." Fritter then pulled the Sports Coupe in for one of her infamous noogies, but she was much gentler this time. "So, what're you doin' out here?"

"I was actually going to ask you the same thing."

"Actually, I…I-I've been comin' out here fer a while." Fritter slightly turned away while nervously fidgeting.

"Really? Why?"

"I-I was hopin' ta see you again."

Cruz was taken aback. All these years, Fritter was looking for her, but she never thought to look for her, too. She was so busy with racing to become the best that she had forgotten about something just as important: her best friend. And now, it was too late.

"Fritter, I'm so sorry," Cruz sighed in shame.

"Aw, it's ok. We're tagether again now, aren't we?" Fritter gently protested.

"No, it's not that…I'm moving away."

"W-What?"

"My family and I are moving, so that I can get into the Junior Speedster's Racing Camp. I-I would've told you sooner, but I just…kinda forgot."

Fritter looked at her "best friend" in shock, and her shock soon turned into a scowl. "Ya mean ya just forgot about me," the bus pointed out matter-of-factly.

"No, Fritter! I just-!"

"No, it's fine! Go live yer dream, and just leave everythin' else behind…it's what ya do best, anyway."

Fritter turned and drove away before Cruz could say anything else, leaving the said Sports Coupe in silence and regret.

 _I'm so sorry, Fritter,_ Cruz thought with guilt, as tears welled up in her eyes, _If_ _only_ _I could've told you…_

* * *

 **So, that's what happened between them...but what did Cruz want to say?**

 **Also, did anyone catch the little MLP reference?**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Put Down during Downtime

Chapter 4 - Put Down during Downtime

Shocked and excited at the same time, Fritter and Cruz remained frozen while skimming each other over with wide eyes. They couldn't believe they were actually seeing each other, but they _really_ couldn't believe that they hadn't recognized each other until now.

"I can't believe it," Cruz breathed in awe.

" _You_ can't believe it?! I thought I lost you forever!" Fritter snapped with a scowl.

"Look, I'm really, really sorry that I left on such short notice, Fritter, but I had no choice!"

"No other choice but ta leave yer best friend behind ta fend fer herself alone?" Cruz's eyes widened and her mouth opened in guilt.

"What're you talking about? What happened after I left?"

"Just forget it. 'Sides, you became this big racer, just like you always wanted…and me? I became a monster who lives off her love of destroyin' and hurtin' people." Fritter turned away and stared at the ground, scuffing a wheel in the dirt.

"But I know better than that, Fritter," Cruz quickly protested and drove up in front of the school bus, "I know you're not evil….you're just…"

"Just what, _Cruzy_?" Fritter spat, her nickname for Cruz rolling off of her tongue like poison, unlike all the other times she'd use the name in such a friendly and light-hearted tone.

And Fritter's sudden irrational behavior left Cruz speechless, so the said school bus drove off without enough word when she lost her patience. And this very moment, this very scene, this very heat of the moment—it all reminded Cruz of that painful day when she and Fritter split.

"Wait!" the Sports Coupe cried out, which made Fritter reluctantly stop in her tracks, "I don't want history to repeat itself."

"Neither do I," Fritter added with a sigh, and she continued on towards town, leaving Cruz alone with the darkness and regret.

* * *

The next morning, Radiator Springs was a rather messy area after the party last night, with garbage, crushed beer cans, and even a few passed out vehicles on the side of the road were scattered about the whole town. But with the big event, it certainly made helped business boom for the store owners, especially Sally's Cozy Cone Motel.

Most who didn't wake up with a hangover went to Flo's V8 Café for brunch, including a certain famous town resident.

"Morning, Flo!" Lightning greeted with Sally by his side.

"Mornin', Honey!" Flo called before going back to taking the rest of an order from a random customer.

"Hi, Mr. Lightning! What can I get for you?" Tia, one of the Mazda Miata twins that works for Flo, asked with a friendly smile.

"Well, Mia, we'll have-."

"I'm Tia, actually."

"Uh…right…"

"We'll just have our usual, Tia," Sally cut in gently.

"Will do!" With that, the young waitress drove off to make the couple's order.

"Wee-hoo! Last night was a hoot!" Mater cheered as he drove a little too quickly into the café and nearly turned over, but he quickly drove over to Lightning and gave a friendly kick, "Man, Lightnin', you and Cruz really know how ta throw a party!"

"Oh, yes. Because of you, the motel was packed," Sally added with appeasement.

"Wow, really?" Lightning chuckled, "Speakin' of which, has anyone seen Cruz?"

"Nope," Mater simply replied.

"No one saw her when the party was over," Sally informed matter-of-factly.

"Well, that's not good," Lightning muttered with concern.

"Oh, don't worry 'bout her! She's a strong woman, she can take care of herself," Mater reassured.

Lightning smirked knowingly, "Yeah, don't I know it."

"I think it's really sweet that you care so much for her. And I have to admit, I think you've become like a father figure to her," Sally explained softly, placing a gentle tire against Lighting's, "Cruz couldn't have gotten far, and you know how she loves practicing out on Willie's Butte."

As if Sally couldn't be more right, Cruz returned to Willie's Butte bright and early to do some practice laps…and to try and shake last night's impression on Fritter.

 _Why wouldn't she just listen? She's such a hard-hooded woman,_ Cruz thought in frustration, but then she helplessly smiled at the memory of Fritter when they were younger, _I guess some things never change._

Just as the Sports Coupe passed the second and most difficult turn, she felt a whoosh and saw a black blur race by her when she crossed over the finish line. Cruz didn't want to believe her eyes when she recognized that back of the one racer she despised most.

"Jackson?!"

"What? You didn't expect me ta visit this little town without trying out its infamous dirt track, did you?" Jackson mocked while Cruz caught up.

"I just didn't expect _you_ of all people to be out here at this hour, especially after getting drunk the night before!"

"Who says I was drunk? Besides, the only way I'll ever beat you next time—not that there's really a doubt—is if I put you down during downtime!"

Cruz scoffed and rolled her eyes, effortlessly speeding ahead of Jackson, "I bet you wish you had a teacher like Lightning! Besides, this isn't asphalt, Jackson, this is dirt!"

Annoyed, Jackson grunted and revved his engine, speeding up at a dangerous rate, but he didn't realize his mistake until it was too late. When he sped passed Cruz and approached the second turn, he suddenly started swerving out of control when trying to make the turn. And just like Lightning's first time on the turn, poor Jackson couldn't stop or turn in time and crashed right into a cactus patch in the ditch below.

Jackson also ended up as stuck as Lightning, as he hissed in pain and constantly tried to reverse out of the prickly plants, but to no avail. And up on the edge, Cruz looked down with an amused smirk.

"I'll go get Mater!" Cruz reassured, laughing all the way into town to fetch the said tow truck. But her mocking laughter fueled Jackson's hatred and need for revenge even more, and he cursed Cruz's name under his breath, swearing he would get her back for this—for _everything_ she had done to him.

When Cruz drove into town, she smirked when she saw the one she was looking for at the café, "Hey, Mater! Care ta help me out?!"

"Sure! Need a tow?" Mater asked with a swing of his tow cable.

" _I_ don't, but a certain arrogant Jackson does. He got himself stuck in the cactus pit by Willie's Butte."

"Oh, we're back to _that_ card again?" Sally joked and flashed a knowing look at her lover.

"Oh, jeez," Lightning chuckled and blushed in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, I got it!" With that, Mater drove off to go help poor Jackson out of the cactus pit.

"Well, if it ain't Chester Wipplefilter and Frances Beltline?" a familiar, haggish voice called sarcastically, and both Lightning and Cruz flinched at those horrible undercover names. And, of course, Miss Fritter herself drove up to them with her trademark snaggletooth grin.

"Did ya have fun last night, Miss Fritter?" Lightning inquired politely.

"Sure did, and I can't thank ya enough fer lettin' me come. But I just wanted ta say goodbye before I high-tail it outta here."

"Wait, you're leaving?" Cruz asked in surprise and even a little sadness.

"Well, yeah! I got my career back at the Crazy Eight—you should stop by some time, _both_ you little wimps." Fritter smiled again and playfully bumped the two racers with a tire, and then she left without another word. But as the bus left, a certain Sports Coupe couldn't tear her eyes away from her, wishing she could find a way to make amends.

"Hey," Lightning broke the silence, and finally brought Cruz from her deep thoughts, "Were you seriously out on Willie's Butte all morning?"

"Yeah…i-it's just the best track to practice on, ya know," Cruz lied with a sheepish smile.

"With Jackson?"

"I swear, I didn't invite or challenge him."

"Just don't disappear out of nowhere next time, ok, Cruz?" Sally added with a goofy yet concerned smile.

Cruz giggled and rolled her eyes, "There's no denying it: You guys are slowly becoming my parents."

* * *

 **Fritter and Cruz's relationship definitely needs help, so how will it play out now? And how will Jackson execute his revenge on Cruz?**

 **Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!**


End file.
